Tips for visiting Nusa Ceningan:

• I didn’t really find a beach that was clean, safe (strong currents!) and quiet.
• The Blue Lagoon lookout is really worth the stop, and even maybe a picnic?
• Rent a scooter to easily explore both islands. You can walk, but it will take you a lot more time!
• Mahana point is a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner and watch experienced surfers ride these big waves crashing into the cliff. At certain times when it’s safe (the restaurant staff will let you know), you can pay to jump off the diving board into the water!
• The secret beach was very beautiful but sadly it had a lot of trash on it, which made it less appealing to sit down and enjoy it. You need to pass through the hotel which is located on the beach and they may ask you to purchase a drink if you want to enjoy the area.
• I stayed at Ocean sunset villas which had a fantastic view of the ocean and sound of the waves crashing in, cute little bungalows with outside bathrooms, a hot pool, breakfast included as well as lunch and dinner options available. Someone also recommended Secret Point Huts and said it was their favorite place to stay.
• The Sand and Next Level coffee looked like 2 cute places to hang out, although I didn’t have enough time to try them!

Impressions of Nusa Ceningan:

Nusa Ceningan is definitely a sleepy island. A lot of tourists drive through on their scooters to check out a few spots but it didn’t seem like many travelers actually stay on this island. It was nice not to be in the center of the action although I must say I wish I had had a scooter because walking everywhere took a lot of energy and more time!

One thing that charmed me about this island was the big yellow bridge you have to walk or scooter on (no cars) to get from Lembongan to Ceningan. The other thing I liked is that it was so small and not much traffic on the roads: I was able to run it all (approximately 7km) and enjoyed beautiful views of the two islands as well as get a glimpse of the local life (which seemed quite poor). I received big smiles from the locals which warmed my heart and kept me motivated to finish the full loop!

There were a few more restaurants and hang out spots I would have liked to check out, but I think 2 nights here was enough to get a feel for the place. I could see how some people come here for 4-5 nights and just take it very slow.

Related posts: Visiting Seminyak (Bali), Visiting Canggu (Bali), Visiting Ubud (Bali), Visiting the Outskirts of Ubud (Bali), Visiting Nusa Lembongan, Visiting Gili Trawangan and Visiting Sanur (Bali).